Tire Boot

A man of means!

Barry

In that instance, you didn't need a chain tool, just a roll of tape (or a zip tie or tie off the cable, etc.).

Tape- very handy for lots of fixes.

Yup, both my Hero Kit multitool and Spin Doctor Rescue 16 have chain tools. Needed 'em a couple of times on group rides when friends' chains popped apart. I carry spare quick links too.

The Spin Doctor Rescue 16 chain tool is as good as my standalone shop chain tool. And the handle/screw doodad is also a very handy spoke wrench.

My Crank Bros M17 has a chain breaker. I run tubulars and carry a small 2oz bottle of Stan's for punctures. The chain breaker fits the valve core so I can remove it to squirt the sealant in. Had to do that once and it saved me time by not having to swap on my spare tire.

About 3 years ago I was riding an '86 Schwinn Le Tour I had just restored. The old freewheel locked up for a split second and threw the chain off so bad that it ripped the RD off and twisted the hanger beyond repair. I cut the chain and set it up as a single speed to limp 15 miles home. It was an early Saturday morning out in the country in the middle of nowhere so I would have been screwed without it.

I also reused a Shimano chain pin like you're not supposed to do. It came apart on a ride but luckily I had a spare pin in my saddle bag. The chain breaker once again kept me from being stranded.

I used to carry a chain tool and a whole assortment of other tools and spare parts but I still never felt secure enough so now I simply carry a second bike(Dahon folder)in my backpack.
It saves me the shame of having to phone a friend or family member once every 16 years or so when a chain breaks :thumb:

Yep, breaking the chain would not be my choice. The traditional fix is to position the derailleur under the cog you want, then secure the tensioned cable under a bottle cage bolt.

I don’t have one in every under saddle bag but I do have two “Gerber CoolTools” (the one with an adjustable wrench, hex keys, socket wrenches AND integral chain tool). They don’t seem to be in current production but saw a few on EBay. I’ll concede that the need for a chain tool is pretty unlikely and even tho I have the capability, if I have a chain issue, I’m much more likely to reach for my cell phone!

Only when i had a tandem. Never needed one on the road in 40 years. Used to carry a spoke truing tool for many years but have given that up too.

I needed it one time on the road. I was lucky; the multitool I had in my seat bag at the time included a chain tool.

Then I figured out the cause of that problem was a gunked-up chain. I started taking better care of my chains, and stopped caring if the multitool had a chain tool.

No chain tool here. I've had several flats but never had a chain break on any of my bikes... mountain, road or gravel. If a chain ever breaks... I'll buy a new one.

Of course I do. There is one included in my multi tool. It is only used to get rid of a busted link, to put in a master link I carry at all times.

I do.
Never needed it.
But loaned it to friend one ride.

Been there, done that. About 20 years ago a vicious stick jumped up from the road, attacked, and ripped off my RD. I pulled out my late lamented Ritchey CPR-9 (see below), shortened the chain to a single-speed, and rode 12 miles back home. I lost that tool when my bike (with seat bag) was stolen about 5 years ago. About a year after that, I was out riding with a buddy when *he* was attacked by a vicious stick. Maybe it was the same stick. We didn't have a chain tool and his wife was out of town so he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and ordered an Uber. I rode home.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...32dcf186d8.png

You guys will all love this . . . .

While climbing one of the longer hills on the local bike trail this morning I snapped the chain. Pulled into the shade, got out my 35 yr-old chain tool, cut out a couple links and rode home. Earlier in the ride the rear der hung and shifted rough a couple times - I figured it was time to put it up on the stand when I got home and give it a good cleaning. Must have been the link starting to separate. I'm ordering a new KMC chain today.

But it does prove that carrying the tools does not magically prevent the problem.

IKR, I would hate to lose mine.

One disconnected from a Crank Bros tool is only about 10g more, 'tho...

It depends on the type of riding being done, but these days folks are getting off the pavement more, & the odds of vicious stick encounters goes up.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d04e57ab2d.jpg

I have a purple one. PM me and it’s yours.

I think you missed the point here, lol. If your chain ever does break while out on a ride, unless you are lucky enough to be right next to a bike shop, you will be walking back.

Thanks. You should hold on to it--it's a classic. Purple is cool.

Nope, I consider that a shop tool. Haven’t had a chain issue in 60 years of riding. Then again, my largest rear cluster is a 7 speed, and chains made for 7 or less gears are pretty robust.
Tim

Not if you have a mobile phone/reception, a friend and/ or a AAA card.

(Exclusions apply: Mountain and Gravel riders may not be covered unless near access roads, so they should carry a full tool kit. Batteries not included, not available in all areas, limit one per customer, definite statements are basically poop <- just like that one).

Sure. In 1980, my chain broke and all I needed was a tool to go on. Instead, because I only had dollar bills and wasn't near a bike store, and because I didn't have a lock with me (and didn't want to lock my new-to-me bike anyway,I had to beg some change from a passer-by, walk my bike until I found a pay phone, and call my wife for a ride home. Wasted most of a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

I have the space to carry a chain tool, and I probably lose more weight on rides than the tool itself weighs, so why not?

A benefit of being old is that I know what's likely to happen when I'm on a ride. Including the things I'm not strong enough to break. ;)

No chain tool. I do bring a few more tools when it's a family group ride, because then the likelihood of a mechanical is multiplied by the number of bikes.

An old Cyclo Rivoli isn't that much to carry.

Yeah I always make sure my friends are available to pick me up whenever I go riding. Or alternatively I just carry a tiny multi-tool that happens to include a chain tool. They also come in handy at home for shortening new chains etc. I wouldn't bother with a standalone chain tool as I don't use them often enough. The one on my Topeak multi-tool is pretty effective anyway. I wouldn't say it's an essential riding item, but it's a no-brainer to buy a multi-tool that includes one.

I would much rather carry a chain tool and fix a broken chain then rely on my cell phone to call somebody to pick me up. It feels good to be self sufficient.

+1
I would just feel like an ******* having to call someone to pick me up because I couldn't be bothered to carry some very simple tools. For me the bare minimum to avoid the call of shame is a compact multi-tool, chain quick-link, valve core, tube & pump.